Thill-coupling.



PATENTBD MAR. 24, 1903.

A. H. WORREST.

THILL COUPLING.

ED AUG. 7. 1902.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

ALFRED H. WORREST, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO METALSTAMPING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

THlLL-,COUPLING.

SPECiFIC-ATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 723,509, dated March24, 1903.

Application filed August 7,1902.

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, ALFRED H. WORREST, a citizen of the United States,and a residentof Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inThill- Couplings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpartof this specification.

This invention relates especially to improvements in thill-couplings ofthe character described and claimed in my United States Letters PatentNos. 646,531 and 662,050, which comprise a bolt-engaging hook on thethill, a pivoted jaw, a lever, and a connecting device between the leverand pivoted jaw,"the connecting device and lever constituting means toact on the pivoted jaw and control .its relation to the hook andcoupling-bolt; and the invention consists of a thill-coupling embodyingthe mechanism hereinafter described and claimed.

On the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of thisimproved thillcoupling as it appears in use; Fig. 2, a longitudinalsection showing the positions of the lever and connecting device whenthey begin to retractthe pivoted jaw; and Fig. 3, an inverted plan, theparts of the coupling being in the relative positions in which they areshown in Fig. 1.

Similar reference-numerals designate like parts in difieren't views.

An important object of this invention is to so improve the mechanismthat acts on the pivoted jaw of a quick-shifting thill-coupling. andthat includes a spring to press the jaw against the coupling-bolt as torender it operative to prevent the jaw from being forced out of the hookof the coupling if the spring should break or yield and to applysuchpressure to the jaw even if the spring should be broken as to keepthe coupling tight on the coupling -bolt, so that the bolt would notwork out of the draftlugs or coupling.al though the nut of the bolt werelost.

The thill-iron, which is fastened to the thill 1 by suitable means-such,for example, as 50 the bolt and screw shown-comprises a hook 2 and lugs3and 4, the hook being of the Serial No. 118,740- (No model.)

proper form to pass over and bear on the coupling-bolt. The pivoted jaw5 is secured to the lug 3 by the pivot-pin 6. A link-shaped lever 7 ispivoted to the lug 4 bya pin 9, and

of a cylinder whose interior diameter is a little greater than thediameter of the bar 10. On the socket are formed at one end ears 17 andat the other end an annular head. 18. The coil-spring surrounds the bar10, bearing at one end against the shoulder 11 and at the other againstthe head 18 of the socket 14. The bar 10 extends through the head 18, inwhich it fits loosely, and the socket 14 is pivotedto the jaw 5 bya pin19, passing through the jaw and the cars 17 of the socket and betweenthe ends 12 and 13 of the notch in the bar. The coil-spring iscompressed between the head of the socket and the shoulder 11, andconsequently tends to force the socket from the shoulder. The bar 10 ismovable lengthwise in the socket, the length of the movement dependingon the length of the notch in the bar, whose ends 12 and 13 cannot passthe pin 19, the bar being constantly held by the socket close to thepin.

In closing the coupling, the thills having been placed in position sothat each couplingbolt is received in the hook 2, the lever 7 is swungfrom the position in dotted lines in Fig. 2 to the position shown inFig. 1. The pressure of the spring 15 against the socket 14, which istransmitted to the pivoted jaw 5 through the pin 19, forces the pivotedjaw into contact with the coupling-bolt. Then as the movement of thelever 7'is continued the spring 15 is still further compressed, bringingincreased pressure on the coupling-bolt I00 and pressing it firmlyagainst the hook.

The parts are so constructed and arranged that in closing the couplingthe pin 16 is carried between and slightly past the centers of the pins9 and 19, and the pressure of the spring 15 against the pin 16 thustends to hold the parts in their closed positions. When the spring isfurther compressed by the action of the lever, as above described, thebar 10 is forced farther into the socket 14, so that the end 13 of thenotch in the bar is carried nearly up to the pin 19. The bar remains inthat position, held by the socket and pin 16. The pivoted jaw is thenlocked by the bar in the book 2, for although a force that would causethe spring to yield should tend to open the jaw the pin 19 could notpass the end 13 of the notch in the bar, nor could the bar be movedendwise by the action of the pin upon it.

In opening the coupling the movement of the lever 7 is reversed, thelever being moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 toward the positionsshown in Fig. 2. This movement of the lever first carries the pin 16from the thill-iron past the centers of the pins 9 and 19, and the bar10 is drawn outward in the socket 14 until the end 12 of the notch inthe bar engages the pin 19, the pressure of the spring 15 being in themeantime partially relaxed. The further movement of the lever 7 willthen swing open the pivoted jaw 5, releasing the coupling-bolt-,the jawbeing turned on its pivot by the action on the pin 19 of the end 12 ofthe notch in the bar 10.

It will thus be seen that the holding of the coupling-bolt in positionis not, as in other forms of thill-couplings, dependent upon theintegrity of the spring. In my improved coupling if the spring 15 shouldbreak it would'still be held in operative position by the bar 10, theonly efiect of the breakage being to reduce the length of the spring byone coil. Thus except for an immaterial diminution of the pressure ofthe pivoted jaw on the coupling-bolt the device would still continue toperform its normal functions and the pivoted jaw would by the engagementof the pin 19 with the end 13 of the notch in the bar 10 be positivelyprevented fromswinging open to release the couplingbolt. Thisconstitutes a decided advantage and renders the use of this quick-shiftcoupling even safer than the old form of drilledeye coupling, becausewith the latter if the nut should work 06 the coupling-bolt the boltwopld be released and fall out, while with my device even if the springshould break and the nut on the coupling-bolt should be lost the spring15 would exert sufficient pres sure to hold the bolt firmly in place.

Another advantage possessed by the construction herein illustrated anddescribed is that when the lever 7 is in locking position the nut 21,which secures the thill-iron to the thill, will lie betweenthe sides ofsaid lever and be thus prevented from turning on the securing-bolt.

The coupling will engage bolts of various sizes and automatically takeup wear, it being capable of holding any ordinary thillbolt securely.

The preferred form of apparatus which for convenience of description Ihave selected for illustration may be considerably modified in many ofits details without involving a departure from my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Inathill-coupling,abolt-engaginghook,

a pivoted jaw, a spring for pressing the pivoted jaw toward thecoupling-bolt, a lever, and a bar connected with the pivoted jaw and thelever and forming with the lever a lock for the pivoted jaw,substantially as set forth. 2. In athill-coupling, a bolt-engaging hook,a pivoted jaw, and mechanism including a spring to press the pivoted jawtoward the coupling-bolt, a bar movable lengthwise, and a fasteningpermanently securing the bar to the pivoted jaw and forming a guide onwhich the bar slides, substantially as set forth.

3. In athill-coupling, abolt-engaginghook, a pivoted jaw, and mechanismincluding a coil-spring to press the pivoted jaw toward thecoupling-bolt, a bar extending through the spring, and afasteningsecuring the bar to the pivoted jaw,"substantially as set forth.

4. In a thill-couplin g, a bolt-engaging hook, a pivoted jaw,andmechanism including a coil-spring to press the pivoted jaw toward thecoupling-bolt, a bar connected with the pivoted jaw, and'asupport bywhich the bar is secured to the thill-iron, the coil-spring be ingcompressible by a backward movement of the pivoted jaw, and the barandsaid sup port forming a lock toa'et on the pivoted jaw when thespring is thus compressed and shortened, substantially as shown anddescribed.

5. In a thill coupling, a bolt-engaging hook, a pivoted jaw, andmechanism including a coil-spring to press the pivoted jaw toward thecoupling-bolt, a bar extending through the spring and permanentlyconnected with the pivoted jaw, and means'to form with the bar a lockfor the pivoted jaw, substantially as shown and described.

6. In a thill-coupling, a bolt-engaging hook, at pivoted jaw, andmechanism including a coil-spring to press the pivoted jaw toward thecoupling-bolt, a bar extending through the spring, means to form withthe bara lock for the pivoted jaw, and a fastening securing the bar tothe pivoted jaw in a relation that is changeable with a movement of thebar lengthwise, substantially as set forth.

7. In a thill-coupling, a bolt-engaginghook, a pivoted jaw, andmechanism including a coil-spring to press the pivoted jaw toward thecoupling-bolt, a bar extending through the spring, means to form withthe bar a lock for the pivoted jaw, and a socket in which the bar ismovable lengthwise, the socket being attached to the pivoted jaw,substantially as set-forth.

8. In athill-coupling, abolt-engaging hook, a pivoted jaw, and mechanismincluding a spring to press the pivoted jaw toward the coupling-bolt,and a rigid bar permanently connected with the pivoted jaw and movablelengthwise to retract the same, substantially as set forth.

9. In a thill-couplin g, a bolt-engaging hook,

a pivoted jaw, a lever pivoted to the thill-iron, and a connectingdevice secured to the lever and pivoted jaw and comprising a spring topress the pivoted jaw toward the couplingbolt, and a bar to lock thepivoted jaw, substantially as set forth.

10. In a chill-coupling, a bolt-engaging hook, a pivoted jaw,- a leverpivoted to the thill-iron, and a connecting device comprising a barpivoted at one end to the lever and secured near its other end to thepivoted jaw, and a coil-spring surrounding the bar and acting from thelever on the pivoted jaw, substantially as set forth.

11. In a thill coupling, a bolt engaging hook, a pivoted jaw, a leverpivoted to the (hill-iron, and a connecting device comprising a barpivoted atone end to the lever, a socket pivotally attached to thepivoted jaw and holding the bar engaged with that jaw, the bar beingmovable lengthwise in the socket, and a coil-spring surrounding the barand acting from the lever on the socket, substantially as set forth.

12. In a thill-coupling, a bolt engaging hook, a pivoted jaw, a leverpivoted to the thill-iron, and a connecting device comprising a barpivoted at one end to the lever and having near that end a shoulder andnear the othena notch, a socket having a head through which the barextends, the socket being pivotally attached to the pivoted jaw by a pinextending between the ends of the notch in the bar, and a coil-springsurrounding the bar and compressible between the shoulder on the bar andthe head of the socket, substantially as set forth.

13. In a thill-coupling, a bolt-engaging hook, a pivoted jaw, a leverpivoted to the thill-iron, and a connecting device to coact with thelever on the pivoted jaw, the connecting device comprising a curved barand a coil-spring surrounding the bar, that eX- -tend outward from thethill-iron through the lever. when the coupling is engaged with a bolt,substantially as set forth.

14. In a thill-coupliug, a bolt-engaging book, a pivoted jaw, a lever, adevice comprising a spring to coact with the lever on the pivoted jaw,and a fastening securing said device to the pivoted jaw and forming aguide on which said device slides, substantially as set forth. 7

15. In a thill-coupling, a bolt-engaging hook, a pivoted jaw, a leverpivoted to the thill-iron, a connecting device secured to the lever andpivoted j awand comprising a spring to press the pivoted jaw toward thecoupling port attached to the thill-iron, the pivot connecting the barwith the latter support being movable from and toward the thill-iron,and a spring to maintain the parts of said mechani'sm in'their properrelative position, substautially as set forth.

17. In a thill-coupling, a bolt-engaging hook, a pivoted jaw, andmechanism including a bar pivotally connected both with the pivoted jawand with another movable support attached to the thill-iron, and aspring to maintain the parts of said mechanism in their proper relativepositions, said mechanism constituting a lock to'positively secure thepivoted jawin engagement with the coupling-bolt, substantially as setforth.

18. In a thill-coupling, a bolt-engaging hook, a pivoted jaw, andmechanism to actuate the pivoted jaw and secure it in engagement withthe coupling-bolt, said mechanism comprising a lever connected with thepivoted jaw, a coil-spring, and a bar connected with the pivoted jaw andextending through the spring, substantially as set forth.

ALFRED H. WORREST.

In presence of S. B. GROVE, JOH F. GAHM.

